COVID-19: Ukrainians enjoy old outdoor gym after lockdown

Kachalka gym has enjoyed broad popularity ever since it opened on Dolobetskiy Island

Last updated: June 11, 2020 | 14:35

2 MIN READ

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Kyiv: Relishing an opportunity to exercise after Ukraine's coronavirus lockdown, hundreds of Kyiv residents have been flocking to an improvised outdoor workout area on an island facing the capital.

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The Kachalka gym has enjoyed broad popularity ever since it opened on Dolobetskiy Island in 1966.

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People coming here to relax on the Dnipro River after a day at the office mix with young couples and sports enthusiasts who life weights for hours.

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When the Ukrainian government ordered a lockdown on March 11 to stem the spread of the coronavirus, police blocked the bridge to the island.

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The open-air workouts were allowed to resume at the end of May, when other sports facilities across the country also reopened.

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Most of the Kachalka gym's equipment was built with scrap metal, such as old machine tools and parts.

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The benches, weight sets and pull-up bars are chained to the ground to prevent theft.

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Users carefully maintain them and make new pieces for the collection.

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Andriy Demyanchenko, 55, said he desperately missed the place during the lockdown.

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"I've been training here since 1985, and for me this is the best place to train," said Demyanchenko who trains for eight hours a day. "I use all types of gym equipment present here."

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